"Name your guild?"
Kurose Akira stared at the prompt hovering before him, a faint crease forming between his brows.
He'd come up with several possible names before this, scribbling them down in idle moments—but now that the moment of truth had actually arrived, his mind went completely blank. A full-blown naming crisis.
Fortunately, there was no immediate deadline.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to skip the naming process for now. He could think it over slowly once he returned to the guild headquarters.
Just as he dismissed the window, another notification flashed into view:
[You have obtained a Rare Adventurer Recruitment Scroll (Purple Quality)!][Player Authority Unlocked — Sacred Adventurer Contract!]
[Sacred Adventurer Contract: You may bind one adventurer as your exclusive contract adventurer. He/She/It will receive a bonus to all attributes and, in turn, grant you a full-attribute enhancement! (The enhancement value scales with the adventurer's total attributes.)]
[Note! Only one adventurer may be contracted. The selected unit's Loyalty will immediately rise to Max! (Gains the 'Loyalty' Trait.)]
"After signing the contract… they become absolutely loyal?"
Akira's eyes lingered on the detailed description of the Sacred Adventurer Contract. A quiet ripple stirred in his chest.
He began weighing his options carefully.
The stronger the contracted adventurer, the greater the amplification he, as guild master, would receive. And since the boost scaled with total attributes…
There was barely a decision to make.
Mare Rhine was the obvious choice.
Not only were her overall stats the highest in the guild, but the added [Loyalty] trait would also serve as a useful leash on that trouble-loving dragon.
"…Hm?"
Mare Rhine caught the strange look in Akira's eyes instantly. Her sharp instincts flared, suspicion flickering across her face.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Akira shook his head and turned back to the system interface. The features unlocked upon promotion to C-Rank extended far beyond the contract alone.
[C-Rank Missions Unlocked!][Badge Missions: 3 Remaining!][C-Rank Commission Requests: 5 Remaining!][Daily Missions: 3 Remaining! (Refresh at 00:00 Daily)][Special High-Difficulty Mission: 1 Available!]
"The mission variety really expanded…"
He skimmed through the newly unlocked panel, unable to hide the smile tugging at his lips.
Compared to standard C-Rank commissions, Daily Missions were far more relaxed. Though their rewards were smaller, they refreshed every day and were simple to complete. He could dispatch idle adventurers to handle them without much time investment, steadily accumulating resources for the guild.
But it wasn't just missions that had expanded.
Several new guild permissions had unlocked as well:
[Guild Achievement Badges Unlocked. You may equip up to 3 badges!][Additional Guild Functional Areas Unlocked: Simulation Combat Zone, Pet Development Area, Breeding Zone…][Guild War Unlocked!][Player Combat Talents Unlocked!][Your Current Level: 1 (Max Level: 10)!][Complete corresponding challenges to earn attribute and skill rewards!]
Line after line of enhancement data scrolled past his vision, filling him with exhilaration.
Promotion to C-Rank and the official establishment of his guild had unlocked far more systems than he'd originally expected.
Yet even as excitement surged through him, reality dragged his attention back to the present.
"Ahhh!!! That's impossible?!"
Cheng Lan's scream rang out across the arena. She clutched her forehead, disbelief written across her face.
Her carefully cultivated adventurer had been one-shot.
Even though the world's laws instantly restored her adventurer to full health, the result was undeniable—and unacceptable.
Her unit had a higher level. So how had the battle ended in such a crushing, one-sided defeat?
At that moment, her friends began filtering out of the lounge, drifting toward the battlefield with amused smiles.
"Cheng Lan, that was pretty embarrassing~"
"Shut up!" Cheng Lan snapped, flustered and visibly irritated.
"Hahaha, looks like someone's not convinced! How about an offline, real-life PvP instead?" one of them teased, laughter laced with mischief.
"Seriously though, this handsome guy's clearly stronger~" another chimed in, eyes sliding toward Akira with open admiration.
"Kurose Akira, can I add your WeChat? Don't misunderstand—I just want to make a friend."
"My social feed's got plenty of cute pics… visible only to you~"
"..."
The enthusiastic older-sister types crowded around him, celebrating his victory as if it were their own.
Akira didn't linger.
After exchanging a few brief words, he swiftly led his adventurers back to the lounge.
Xu Feiyan was already seated inside. When she saw him return, the corners of her lips curved upward into a peculiar smile.
"You're quite popular, aren't you~?"
"Did you need something?" Akira asked directly.
He had come back precisely because she'd said she wanted to talk.
Xu Feiyan gently fanned herself with her round silk fan and spoke at an unhurried pace.
"In two days, the ultra–high-difficulty Demon Cavern will open. According to the event schedule, a Star Knight from the Kingdom of the Stars will personally eliminate the boss inside. Players won't need to intervene."
"After that, the King of the Star Kingdom will award the event prizes to the top three players on the leaderboard. I won't attend in person—I'll send Honglian and the others instead. If anything unexpected happens, I hope you'll help look after them."
"You'll be busy that day?" Akira asked.
She nodded lightly.
"Yes. I have urgent matters to handle in the real world."
He gave a small nod of understanding.
"Got it. I'll watch over Honglian and the others."
A satisfied smile curved across Xu Feiyan's lips at his answer.
"Now that you've advanced to C-Rank, you'll have access to more lucrative missions. But remember—don't overreach. Know your limits."
"Understood."
He committed her advice firmly to memory.
"Pettico."
At her soft call, Pettico stepped forward and respectfully presented a blood-red bracelet with both hands.
Akira accepted it.
"This is?"
"It's a storage item," Pettico replied. "Inside is something you need."
With a flicker of thought, Akira sent his consciousness into the bracelet.
His breath hitched.
Resting within was the portrait of the Vampire Progenitor.
"You're willing to sell it to me?" he asked.
Pettico's response was simple.
"It's a gift."
"A gift? Thank you!"
A genuine flash of delight crossed his face.
Ever since he'd first seen the Vampire Progenitor's portrait, it had lingered in his mind. He had even asked Xu Feiyan whether he might purchase it from Pettico.
He never expected her to give it to him outright.
The instant the portrait came into his possession, a system prompt appeared:
[Second Vampire Progenitor Portrait Collected!][The 'Vampire' Trait is transforming into: [...]][Please select one of the following three prefixes (Cannot Refresh):][Virgin][Little Virgin][Old Virgin]
"?"
Akira stared at the three options in utter silence.
And they couldn't even be refreshed.
After a long internal struggle, he chose the relatively more normal option:
[Virgin]
[Successfully added the 'Virgin' prefix to your 'Vampire' Trait!][Virgin: She has always preserved her flawless, untouched maidenhood…]
…
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